The following morning after grabbing a quick breakfast from the kitchens, I made my way down to the dock where the crew were busy with the final preparations for the Intrepid to depart. Albert was also present despite the fact that he wouldn't be sailing with the ship, he was running through what looked like a thick work manual with Kevin.
As I approach boarding ladder, I can see Luke looking down from the Bridge Wing shaking his head. On joining him he comments, "He just can't help himself."
"What did I miss?" I ask, fully expecting what the answer would be.
"Albert turned up and started giving Kevin the standard introduction he gives everyone who joins the engine room," Luke replies, "You'd almost think he outranks Kevin the way he started into him."
"Well that sounds like Albert," I answer with a smirk, "Just so long as this is the short introduction and not the usual three-hour speech he gives."
"There's a first time for everything I guess," Luke replies with a laugh, "Speaking of first times. I didn't realize that you would be bringing our guests along on an operation of this nature?"
"I'm not," I answer with confusion, "Bismarck is joining Albert on the Germany assignment and Graf Spee wanted to stay here on the island. I didn't get the chance to speak with either Akagi or Kaga though."
"Well they boarded about ten minutes before you," Luke informs me, "And it didn't look like they were about to be denied the chance to join this cruise."
After finishing up my conversation with Luke and giving Albert the cue to wrap up his lecture so Kevin could board the ship, I make my way down the corridor at the rear of the Bridge to stow my sea bag in my cabin before continuing on to conduct my usual pre-voyage inspection of the ship.
My inspections take less time than usual as with double the normal crew aboard the preparation work was well in hand. I finish my tour by making my way aft down the port side of the main deck, double checking the conditions of the lifeboat launching mechanisms as I go.
On reaching the last lifeboat and mentally ticking off my checklist that all is ready, I find myself only a short distance from where Akagi and Kaga stand looking out over the stern of the ship out to sea beyond the reef.
Hearing my approaching footsteps as I make my way across the launch deck, "Just so you know," Kaga begins turning to face me, "There is nothing you can say that will persuade either of us to remain on the island while you head out to sea, Captain."
"Fair enough," I reply slightly taken aback by the abrupt announcement, "Just be sure that you know that this is a Search and Rescue operation and not a weekend cruise through the Pacific."
Both nod their understanding before I continue, "So with that taken care of. Having you aboard will actually speed up the search operations greatly."
"How so?" Akagi asks with a slight tilt of her head.
As I go over the few details of the mission with the girls, explaining what we are looking for and how I intend to carry out the search operation if it should come to that, I notice that whilst both are seemingly agreeing with the plan, it appears as though they might have other ideas.
"So, no different to hunting down an enemy fleet," Kaga states with a slightest hint of a smile once I finish going over the plan.
"Exactly," I agree, "However although we are looking for an American Naval fleet, you won't be attacking them. Just report their position and keep a visual contact."
Before any further conversation on the matter can continue however, I feel the vibrations of the engine starting up indicating that Kevin has finally been able to get away from Albert and aboard ship and that we were ready to depart.
Now some four hours south of Midway, with the Intrepid sailing rapidly through the low swells we entered the northern most point of the pre-planned route that the American Carrier Group was scheduled to take on its return to Pearl Harbour.
The voyage out from Midway Atoll had been largely uneventful. After clearing the reef and turning onto the southerly heading to the expected point of intercept with the American fleet, I had the crew run through all the onboard systems to ensure that they were going to be ready if required.
With the sun now reaching its zenith, I gave the order to begin the search proper. The crew began to lower one of the prototype rapid ocean floor scanners the Professor had finalized the production of over the past month.
Getting the all clear from the crew members monitoring the scanner readings, I gave the orders to increase speed to twenty knots and turn onto the pre-planned search grid whilst waiting for the latest possible estimated time that the fleet would arrive.
"How long until the fleet is due to arrive?" Luke asks.
"Assuming nothing is wrong," I answer, "The lead elements should be here within the hour, which is why we are sub hunting."
The numerous confused looks from those on the bridge led me to expand on my answer, "The lead element of the task force is a submarine. They should be about an hour ahead of the surface fleet."
"And you think that the Professors new ocean floor scanner will be able to detect a nuclear submarine?" Luke questions with a raised eyebrow.
"Probably not," I admit, "Those things are damned hard to detect even with the right equipment. I'm more hoping that they will detect the sonar pings and come investigate the source."
After almost two hours of crisscrossing over the same stretch of ocean with no sign of any surface traffic or even a hint of anything below the ocean surface indicating any man-made objects I step back inside from my observation post of the Starboard Bridge Wing, "Okay set a course for Wake Island," I instruct, "We'll start to retrace the planned route."
As Luke starts to program the new course into the navigation computers, I reach for the satellite phone and punch in the contact number from memory. The phone barely has time to ring before the other end is picked up.
'Which extension?' the voice on the other end spoke in a stern manner.
"Extension forty-five. Priority Alpha," I answer.
Without a reply from the voice on the other end, I hear a slight buzzing through the line as the call is transferred before a second voice speaks, "Jensen speaking."
"Admiral," I begin, "It's Harrison onboard the Intrepid. Just calling to update you that your fleet has missed its rendezvous time and we are now beginning to retrace their course back towards Wake Island."
"Understood," Admiral Jensen replies, "We'll send our search group to cover the course between Pearl and Midway just in case they were ahead of schedule."
"I'm certain that we beat them to the point of intercept Admiral," I acknowledge, "But better to cover all options. Also, if you have any way to send a message that they might be able to receive under the current circumstances can you let them know that we will be conducting aerial reconnaissance starting tomorrow morning."
"I'll pass the message on to the team leading the search operation from our end," Admiral Jensen says, "We will expect updates if you find anything."
After confirming the next phase of the search with Admiral Jensen, I hang up the phone before replacing it on the wall mount. Taking another look at the charts scattered across the table whilst running through the plans for the next day, my thoughts are interrupted.
"Do you want an aerial scouting sortie today Captain?"
Looking up to find Kaga standing on the other side of the Chart Table I reply, "There's only another three hours of good light remaining today. How much range could you cover in that time?"
"If we launch now, we can scout out the area we would sail through overnight," Kaga confirms.
Weighing up the advantages of knowing what surface vessels we might encounter overnight against losing almost two thirds of the possible scouting range I make my decision, "Do it. I'll let you determine how many planes to launch."
Without another word Kaga leaves the Bridge, leaving me to issue the required instructions before making my way down to the Launch Deck.
Unlike the last time when Bismarck volunteered to guide the Intrepid during the radar blackout anomaly, there was no crowd of crew around watching on as both Kaga and Akagi emerged onto the Launch Deck and wordlessly stepped off the ship onto the ocean surface.
As the girls skate out a short distance from the Intrepid to take up positions on either side of the ship, I watched on with genuine interest at how they were going to launch their recon planes when so far, all the research we had compiled had failed to answer that question.
Taking up a position where I could clearly observe the launch I was still surprised at although it was surreal to see a person skating across the ocean surface, that like when Bismarck did so a little over a month ago, it almost felt natural.
Raising my observation binoculars, I watched on as Akagi with head bowed as if in quiet pray slowly raised her right arm, hand outstretched. With a brilliant flash a bright reddish-orange ball of flame appeared just above her hand, before it began to circle around her.
My shock at seeing what could only be described as magic if one were to try to describe the scene to another was pale compared to a moment later when I turned to look to the other side of the ship where Kaga had it appeared mirrored her sisters actions, however she had conjured a flame of greenish-blue.
I continued to watch on silently as both girls raised their heads and appeared to be looking off into the distance before with a rapid flick of their wrists, they threw what appeared to be crude paper cutouts roughly in the shape of an airplane.
The paper cutouts travelled only a short distance before rapidly transforming into full-sized aircraft which rapidly accelerated away and climbed up into the afternoon skies.
I was still scratching my head in disbelief at this sight, considering the possibility that I was imagining things, when moments later a second wave of aircraft materialized in the same manner, heading off on a slightly different course to the first. This was followed by a third and fourth wave.
My thoughts are quickly interrupted by Luke over the portable radio, "Just to let you know we have multiple contacts on radar heading away from our position."
"Can you give me an exact count on the number of contacts?" I request, having not been able to get any sort of count earlier due to my surprise at what I had witnessed.
As I await a reply from Luke, I continue my observations of both girls who continued to maintain their course and distance to match that of the Intrepid. After what seemed like an eternity, Luke radioed back, "We've counted one hundred and thirty-eight separate contacts across eight groups Captain."
"Thank you, Luke," I answer, "Can you remind me tomorrow to make sure that we aim the external cameras to cover tomorrow mornings launch. I believe that the research teams will want to study this in detail."
As the days continued to tick over with no sign of the American fleet the only positives that any of us could take from the previous five days was the amount of data, we were able to collect for the research teams to go over.
Now just over a day south of Wake Island having made another course change towards the Bismarck Sea I took my usual observation post on the Starboard Bridge Wing and watched on as Kaga launched her third of the morning. Taking another sip of coffee and flicking through the overnight reports which revealed nothing of note.
"Captain, I have reports of a strange object in the water to the west of our current course."
Looking across the Bridge to the portside where Akagi had taken her usual station during the aerial recon missions, I take hold of the radio and ask, "Can you get a fixed position and possibly identify what the object is?"
Walking back into the Bridge to mark the charts so as to determine the new heading, I waited for Akagi's response.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity Akagi's voice crackled over the radio once more, "On further inspection there are two objects, on a rough heading of zero eight six from our current course and about two hundred kilometers away. As to what they are, best I can tell is they might be storage boxes from a ship."
Quickly plotting an intercept course on the map and handing the new course heading to Luke at the helm, I key the radio once more, "Sounds like a waste of time, but we've not seen anything at all over the past week, so no harm in investigating."
"Understood Captain," Akagi replies, "I'll maintain a visual over the target and continue on with the rest of the reconnaissance with the rest of the squadron."
Just after midday the first signs that we were reaching the area where one of Akagi's search planes had remained circling above the floating debris reached our ears as the steady thrum of the Zero's engine could be heard over the occasional crash of a wave on the hull.
Scanning the surface of the ocean, it wasn't until we were almost on top of the floating objects that anyone saw them, so well did they blend in with the water they were half submerged in.
I gave the orders to reduce the speed to just above idle and made my way to the Launch Deck, where armed with a fishing net, I leaned out as far as possible and scooped the objects back onboard.
On closer inspection it turned out to be another set of gently glowing cubes, similar to those we had previously in the Atlantic Ocean. These two giving off a soft purplish tinge as they sat in the net on the deck of the ship.
Silently cursing the lack of a lead to the whereabouts of the missing US Carrier Group, I key the portable radio, "False alarm. Just another set of cubes for the research team to look at when we get back home."
As I feel the Intrepid begin to pick up speed once more and turn back towards our original route, a flash of light draws my attention back to the ocean. Quickly scanning the area to find what had drawn my attention, I spy what appears to be an empty bottle floating past the ship.
Out of habit in always trying to minimize the impact running a research ship can sometimes have on the ocean, I reach out again with the fishing net after removing the two cubes and scoop the plastic bottle out of the water.
As I'm making my way back to the bridge, I retrieve the bottle from the bottom of the net with the intent of adding it to the collection of recyclables, when I notice that someone had stuffed a piece of paper in the bottle before screwing the lid back on.
Chuckling to myself that there were people that still sent messages in a bottle like sailors of old when they became stranded on remote islands, I decided that there was no harm in seeing what the message contained.
On reaching the bridge after a quick detour via the galley to cut open the bottle up with one of the kitchen knives, I unfolded the piece of paper within and read the note.
A moment later I was reaching for the briefing notes and reading through the list of ships that where part of the USS Gerald R. Ford's escort group. Double checking both the note from the bottle and the briefing notes, I was stunned.
"Luke turn the Intrepid back for Wake Island," I call out, as I locate on the navigation charts the co-ordinates that had been hastily written on the first note.
Marking down the spot, I firstly pick up the radio, "Kaga. Akagi. We are heading back to Wake Island, recall your aircraft and then join us back onboard."
Looking around the Bridge, I notice that everyone present is looking in my direction wearing various expressions that mostly indicate that I've gone crazy. Eventually Luke speaks up, "What's up Captain?"
"I fished this out of a bottle that was floating near those two cubes. It's looks for all purposes like one of those notes in a bottle from a stranded sailor you always hear tales of from the past," I explain, "Only this also contains the name of one of the escort ships we are looking for, a set of co-ordinates and that they were attacked suddenly by something after having their radios jammed."
It took just over an hour before both Kaga and Akagi were able to recover the last of their aircraft and rejoin the Intrepid.
During that time, I placed another call into Admiral Jensen, explaining what we had found and where, and also all the information contained on the note.
Fortunately, the sailor who had written the note, although it was clear from the messy nature of the handwriting that it had been written in great haste, had included only the most important of details. These included not only the co-ordinates of where the ship was at the time, but also the fact that he had been aboard the USS Jack Williams and the course and speed the fleet had been maintaining prior to being attacked. He had even time stamped and dated the note. Which explained exactly why we had seen no signs of any wreckage.
The only vital information not contained, was why the fleet was almost three hundred kilometers off their planned route.
The only explanation the Admiral could offer was that the Fleet Commander had possibly issued a course change if he perceived a credible threat to the group if they had maintained their scheduled course.
And whilst that was certainly a logical reason, it was highly concerning as the American Carrier Groups projected power and strength wherever they went. The last major threat to American carriers was ironically involved in scouting out where and why one had gone missing.
